15' Poles

[SublimeVaulter]

I am a high school vaulter who has blown through all my school's 14' poles and i am trying to transition onto the 15' foot poles. If anyone has any advice on the switch please help, because there is only a week left until league finals.

[nitro]

just do it but expect to get whacked the first couple but then it will be easy to get in on

[Robert schmitt]

what is the weight rating of your biggest 14'pole. What 15' poles do you have available and how much do you weigh?

And by blown through do you mean your standards are all the way back and you are knocking the cross bar off on the way up?

[SublimeVaulter]

Yes i am knocking the bar off on the way up, i have even tried gripping down on the 175 which is our largest 14', and in 15' foot poles we have 155 all the way through 180 all spirits

[Robert schmitt]

well actually you would want to grip up on the 14' 175 if you are blowing through. i'm assuming you weigh 155- 160 or under and are gripping with in the top 6" of the allowable grip on the 14' poles. I usually don't move guys up in length untill they are jumping 20-30lbs over their body weight. To get on the 15' poles grip the same height on the 15' 155 as you are gripping on the 14' 175 these two poles are going to be really close to the same pole at that grip height.You'll probably blow through. Now go to a 15' 160 same grip if you blow through move your hand up a inch--still blow through move your hand up another inch...etc... if you inch your hand up 5" or more and are still blowing through move to the 15' 165. If your are not jumping at least 12" above your top hand adjust for blowing through by maintianing that same grip and going to stiffer poles.

[polevaulter08nw]

i would say exactly what robert said, except not as clear, good post.

[sjsvaulter]

i made this transition this year, and i did it with a series of poles nearly the exact same as yours. when you go to the pole a foot longer--the 15 155 would prob be the best pole to start with since its basically the same as the 14 175-- don't raise your handgrip more than 3". Basically, i'm cautioning you against doing something really stupid like trying to grip 14'6" your first day out with the 15's. Oh yeah, and having your takeoff foot farther out, so you won't be under, will also be a key. I would recomend doing pole runs on the track with your 15's to find you correct run length/ mid length.